Frankfort and Sleeping Bears

After five days with Beth's family we were off on new adventures, this time heading to the west coast of Michigan. We filled propane at a Tractor Supply Store and stopped at Traverse City State Park to dump our tanks. We hadn't been here before, so asked the ranger at the entrance where the waste station is and proceeded to pull in behind another camper who was dumping his tanks. Within a few minutes there was a tap on our window and a gentleman asked if we were going to just fill our water. It turned out that there was a line of at least eight campers around the corner waiting for their turn and we had inadvertently cut in line! We apologized and decided to wait and look for another place. Beth found Interlochen State Park on our route and we stopped there for lunch and there was no line for dumping our tanks. Next door to the Interlochen Center for the Arts and National Summer Music Camp, the park is perched on a pretty inland lake and has cabins and tents for rent in addition to traditional campsites. The photo is a view from one of the rental cabins.

Heading towards the coast we noticed a unique looking building in the little town of Benzonia. Pulling over we learned it is the Benzie Area Museum.

The docent at the front desk said "We have a bunch of old stuff. Feel free to wander around. If you enjoy it, then leave the admission on your way out." The variety of collections gave us a good feel for the history of the area. One of my favorites was this 1941 Old Town sailing canoe, which is very similar to one I learned to sail in


The area was a major lumbering center. A working scale model of a local sawmill was built by Lon  McConnell in the 1940's. Recently restored by volunteers, a video at the end of the blog shows it running.

A special display of photographs by local professional photographer William Sharp (1874-1958) was well worth the stop. Here's one example and the description.

He found creative ways to display his photographs, including using a snowbank.

The museum is in a beautiful old church building. Stained glass over the door and a peek at our van was a delightful way to end the unplanned visit.

We happily left the price of admission on our way out.

Old charts in the museum had us looking forward to Frankfort, our next stop, as it is located on a beautiful small lake that connects, through a narrow channel, to Lake Michigan.

Parking between the town and the lake was even marked for RV's and Trailers. Unfortunately, no boondocking is allowed.

Public boat ramps access Betsie Lake. Large sailboats are moored in the small lake where they can duck in for protection from storms on Lake Michigan.

Well cared for shops on main street were fun to wander. We didn't expect to find a combination Jewish Deli and Photography storefront.

The Frankfort town beach offers sand and benches where we watched a sailboat emerge from the breakwater.

Another short drive brought us to the Point Betsie Lighthouse.

The grounds were closed, but we did get a good view from the shoreline.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Crossing this covered bridge marks the start of Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. Built by its namesake, the seven mile drive is now part of the National Lakeshore.

Overlooks allow great views of inland lakes on one side.

and dunes overlooking Lake Michigan from the other.

Boardwalks allow access to dune areas.

Sand dunes drop over four hundred feet to the Lake Michigan beach.

Warning signs discouraged these old folks from walking sliding down the sandy slope.

Beth was ready for birding.

Views like this of Lake Michigan over the dunes may be one of the reasons Good Morning America named this the "Most Beautiful Place in America" in 2011.

Riding the thermals, a bald eagle drifted overhead.

We always ask people if they would like us to take a photo for them. Every once in a while folks reciprocate.

Long ago, the Ojibwa say, in the land we now call Wisconsin, a mother bear an her two cubs tried to swim across Lake Michigan. Close to the Michigan shore, yet too far, the tiring cubs lagged behind. Mother bear climbed to the top of the bluff to watch and wait, but the cubs never reached her. A solitary dune covered with dark trees and shrubs arose where the mother bear waited. Offshore , the Manitou Islands mark the spots where the two cubs drowned.
 - sign on Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Leaving the scenic drive, we pulled over to view a restored farm.

Once a part of the small town of Port Oneida, the farms are now incorporated into the park.

Luckily for us, labor day had passed, and space was available for us in the D. H. Day Campground. A few structures, like this one, give clues that this was once a state park.

Campsites have lots of trees and are nicely spaced for only $20. We were in site 68.

Sleeping Bear National Heritage Trail passes through the campground, so we walked the trail over to Glen Haven Village after dinner in time to find divers emerging from Lake Huron.

Offering 27 miles of mostly paved trails we should come back with our bicycles and spend more time here.

An old fishing boat is on display.

The canning company was a major employer from 1865 until 1931. Once abandonded, it has been restored and is now incorporated into the national park.

We had to leave the maritime museum for another day as the area closed and we walked back to the campground in the twilight.  We are fortunate that people had the foresight to preserve this amazing lakeshore.

Here's the video of the approximately 1/2" scale lumber mill we promised from the Benzie Museum. Videos are usually posted at the end of our blogs because they interfere with anything that follows them in the emailed version.